Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

TOFTWO is a great site for player's HOF advocacy, recent and past NFL history, criticism of the game being watered down or need for more money by greedy owners and has had good perspectives from recent historians who also weigh in as a jury to voter, Clark Judge's subjects of discussion and history.

These historians did recent Top 10 lists on various coaches and players who they felt were the best of all-time. They mostly concentrated on offensive players and did a great job. Like voters for the HOF, their views were subjective and invited great debate, while also adding their own viewing and researched perspective to the players and coaches.

They did Top 10 lists for Wide Receivers, Running Backs, Tight Ends, QBs and Head Coaches, while also speculating on the greatest players--regardless--of all-time. Here are their lists, if you havent visited the site, or like me ... cant directly comment on the choices, on the site itself ... I dont get on FaceStalk

Historians Top 10 Receivers All-Time

Rice
Hutson
Alworth
Moss
Berry
Fitzgerald
Warfield
Largent
Harrison
Owens

Top 10 Running Backs All-Time

Brown
Payton
Sanders
Smith
Sayers
Dickerson
Van Buren
Faulk
Motley
Tomlinson

Top 10 Tight Ends All-Time

Gronkowski
Mackey
Winslow
Gonzalez
Ditka
Kelce
Newsome
Gates
Sharpe
Casper

Top 10 Quarterbacks All-Time

Brady
Unitas
Montana
Graham
P Manning
Baugh
Mahomes
Elway
Marino
Rodgers

Top 10 Head Coaches All-Time

Brown
Belichick
Lombardi
Halas
Walsh
Shula
Noll
Lambeau
Landry
Gibbs

Haha ... I will do my lists and comments shortly. Thanks for everyone involved in these debates, listings and perspective.

I have been slightly outspoken on some of my comments on ProFootballJournal but we all have our preferences.

Omissions From The Top 10 Lists That SMH

Staubach
Bradshaw
Favre
Luckman

I get it, they could only do 10 QBs based on votes that were seperate among 9 historians, but its hard to leave these guys off the list. Especially Staubach and Favre. Unlike most of the QBs on the list, Bradshaw called his own plays. I can understand Baugh, who was the better player and didnt have the supporting cast like Luckman, but Luckman was the better QB.

Moore
Sterling Sharpe
Swann
Lofton

These guys were only omitted due to injuries or in the case of Lenny Moore, playing two positions but I would stubbornly take all of them over Terrell Owens, who had Top 5 talent--especially running with the ball, like Charley Taylor or John Mackey--but was too selfish a player for different teams for me to put in a Top 10.
Lofton was Jerry Rice before Jerry Rice but with more speed but didnt have his legendary longevity.*

Witten
Jackie Smith
Jerry Smith

Witten is a true head-scratcher omission. A pass catcher, a blocker and leader--even Terrell Owens on the Cowboys was jealous of him--he should be included but the voters went for huge non-blocking receivers, though some did sporatically. Doesnt matter, Jackie Smith could be a good blocker and was a big play receiver. Jerry Smith held the TD catch record for tight Ends for many years. He wasnt as good as all these tight ends but former 49er, Vernon Davis, might have been the mostly physically gifted of all these players ...

Simpson
Jim Taylor
Peterson
Harris

The Running Back list is very tough and debatable but its very hard to leave these guys off. I respect Marion Motley tremendously, but for me, fullback-blockers begin and end with Jim Taylor, who was the catalyst of the GB dynasty. Cookie Gilchrist and Csonka were similar as well and of course, Latone, Nagurski and Hinkle were pioneers at the position. Franco Harris, like Jim Brown, was an explosive runner and could catch the ball as well but Bradshaw liked to go to his receivers.

Simpson and Peterson were just as dynamic and explosive as Dickerson and all three were more one-dimensional. Simpson owned the 1970s as a popular player.

Reid
Ewbank
Parker

These HCs have the most championships without being in the Top 10. I can understand Weeb not making it due to many poor seasons while he was rebuilding virtual expansion teams but I cant understand why Reid didnt make it? Like Belichick, Brown, Walsh, Lombardi and others, he won with a great QB but also took another very good QB to a SB. Is he omitted because of those embarrassing SB losses? He still could get more championships and maybe the voters are withholding till his career is over.
Parker could be part of the list as well but quit on teams at the wrong time, which keeps him out of the Hall --for younger fans that didnt know-- haha

*edited